The shepherd keeps a flock of sheep and takes them to graze on the mountain every day.
One day, a lone wolf discovered the flock of sheep and rushed into the flock, biting and killing one sheep. The sheep had never seen a wolf before and thought it was like a cow or a dog, not a threat to themselves, so they were completely unaware. The wolf killed a sheep in the flock, splattering blood all over its face. It took a few bites of meat before the shepherd ran over, waving his shepherd's staff, and drove it away. The flock of sheep saw their companion die in front of them for the first time and felt terrified. But one sheep saw it and thought the wolf was incredibly powerful, admiring it a bit. The other sheep told it that it was just a sheep, destined to be the wolf's meal, and there was no way for it to become a wolf. They advised it to stay away from the wolf. Although the sheep thought it made sense, it couldn't help but want to get closer to the wolf.
Because the shepherd lost a sheep, he bought a sheepdog to guard the flock, to prevent the wolf from rushing in and killing the sheep. The shepherd brought the sheep's body back home and cooked soup for himself at night, giving the meat to the sheepdog.
The sheep that liked the wolf waited every day for the wolf to come again. The sheepdog saw this and told it that it shouldn't hope for the wolf to come back, as it would be a terrible situation for everyone. Although it liked the wolf, as long as the wolf came, the sheepdog would protect every sheep. The sheep nodded in agreement.
The wolf came again, and the sheepdog fought with it. They both got injured in the fight, but the wolf still ran away. The sheep thanked the sheepdog for protecting them. The sheepdog said it wasn't necessary, as it was just serving the shepherd. It might also eat them one day, but that would be what the shepherd gave it. The sheep remained silent. The sheep that had observed the sheepdog during this time saw that it only basked in the sun, occasionally lifting its head to sniff the air, playing with the shepherd and the other sheep. It didn't think the sheepdog was particularly powerful, just that it was an optional companion. The other sheep told it that they only ate grass every day, growing meat and wool, and their lives didn't have much else. The sheepdog was the same, just serving humans. This sheep said that it used to think the same way, but the wolf was different. It had to constantly look for hunting opportunities to survive. The other sheep said that they also constantly thought about eating more grass, and the sheepdog also constantly watched them. The sheep felt that the sheepdog provided them with a sense of security and trusted it very much.
After the sheepdog got injured, with the shepherd's care, it quickly recovered and even became stronger than before. This sheep saw the appearance of the sheepdog and remembered the injured wolf, wanting to go into the forest to find it. The sheepdog told it that if it went into the forest, it wouldn't be able to protect it. It could only guard the flock, and if all the sheep went into the forest, it wouldn't be able to protect all of them. The sheep said that the sheepdog wasn't like the wolf. The wolf didn't need protection, but the sheepdog lived for other animals. Although it was its companion, it was still controlled by a wolf. Even if there were other sheepdogs, it might not be able to protect all the sheep. The sheepdog said that it was wrong. Even if the wolf had a pack, it would use its life to protect them, but the wolf wouldn't sacrifice its life for any other animal. The sheep had never seen such a thing and didn't believe it.
The sheep left the flock and went into the forest, where it met the wolf. The wolf was very weak. The sheep asked the wolf if it could protect it now, since its appearance was similar to that of the sheepdog when it was weak. The wolf thought for a moment and said that it couldn't hunt now. If the sheep took care of it for a while, it would send it back. The sheep thought that the wolf's current appearance was gentle and completely different from before, so it shouldn't eat it. Days passed, and the wolf gradually recovered, but the sheep didn't leave.
One day, the wolf killed the sheep. After all, who wouldn't like prey that was so close? And the wolf would eventually get hungry. What animal doesn't get hungry?
"A fable, I see it as a prototype of a story."
© Adrian Infernus